Sundiata, an Azarathean fairy tale
by RukiaRae
Summary: This is a story based on the Malian epic,the basis for Disney's The Lion King. Princess Raven must overcome many hurtles in order to rule Azerath. With Arella and Richard's help, can she rule Azarath? Told like a fairytale story AU RobRae COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone!**

**So I know it's been forever since I've put this story out there, it's been about 4 years since I began writing it. I just finished it for the sake of completing the story. However, seeing as most of it was written 4 years ago, my writing was considerably weaker than it currently is. Therefore, many of the characters are not developed well from the beginning of the story. They are quite static and don't speak like themselves. Anyway, just know that it does get better toward the end (I think). So read it if you want to, but definitely be aware of this :)**

**Happy reading!**

**~RukiaRae**

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**This is inspiration from one of my English assignments. This story is based on the story _Sundiata_, a Malian epic that is also the basis for the disney movie, _The Lion King._ This story originates from Ancient Africa! I hope you like it, even if it's different...**

Chapter 1

**Sundiata**

Long ago, the kingdom of Roth was ruled by a benevolent, kind king who was loved by all of his subjects. His name was Trigon. Everyone knew that Trigon had a bad temper, but he rarely let it show. Trigon had two wives (which wasn't many, all things considered). His first wife, the cruel Madame Rouge, had given birth to one son, who was now 8. Madame Rouge had short, jet black hair with matching eyes. Almost all of her robes were a shade of red and she always wore bright red lipstick. Her demeanor was almost always upleasant and she was suspicious of everyone. She had a very thick French accent that could always be heard. His second wife, Rita, had given birth to two girl twins, Tara and Jinx, who were still toddlers. Rita was a beautiful red head who was very kind and softspoken. Her daugters, Tara and Jinx, were ferternal twins. Tara had long blonde hair and navy eyes while Jinx had brown hair and brown eyes with pink flecks.

While traveling to the kingdom of Azure, Trigon met, what he thought, was the most beautiful woman, named Arella. Arella had purple hair and beautiful brown eyes (with purple flecks) that contrasted with her pale skin. It was said that Arella had telepathic abilities, but couldn't control when she used them. For instance, when she was little and wanted something, the object would usually begin to levitate. She, just like Trigon was very kind. Arella traveled with Trigon back to the kingdom of Roth, and upon arrival, they were wed. Together they merged their kingdoms into a new one, called Azerath.

However, Madame Rouge would ridicule Arella's appearance to others, especially when Arella was near. A few years later, Arella gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Raven. Raven had her father's dark hair, but in the light her hair had a velvet sheen that her father's hair lacked. Her skin was paler than her mother's, which many had thought was impossible until Raven was born. Raven also had beautiful purple eyes. After Raven was born, Madame Rouge no longer perceived Arella as a threat since Raven was a girl and only boys ascended the throne, therefore Rouge wasn't as cruel.

When Raven turned three, she still hadn't uttered a word to anyone yet, but she would mumble things to herself. At four, when all of the other babies in the castle could walk, Raven still resorted to crawling to get around. For this, Raven (and Arella) were teased. At eight years old, her father could feel his life waning, and Raven still hadn't said a word nor walked yet.

"Bring me my daughter, Raven," he commanded one afternoon.

As soon as she was brought in, her father began to talk to her, and it appeared that Raven understood what he was saying.

"I can feel my life coming to a closure," said a very tiered Trigon, "I am now going to present you with a gift that a king gives all of his successors. I am going to give you a griot. My griot is Bruce Wayne, and your griot will be his son, Richard. A griot is a storyteller. Your griot will teach you everything you need to know in order to rule. From now on, be inseparable friends. He will teach you about manners, government, making allies, military stratigies because when I die, I want you to take the throne," announced Trigon in front of Bruce, Richard, Raven, the Council of Elders (which had twelve members and was headed by Bruce), Rita, Rouge, and Arella.

This shocked everyone, especially Madame Rouge, who's son was in his twenties and extremely talented. What happened next though shocked everyone even more. Raven summoned Richard to her with a wave of her hand. She then said, "You are my griot."

This made Trigon and Arella so happy, that they both wept for joy. Two days later, Trigon died in his sleep.

The council of elders gathered to choose his successor. Disobeying Trigon and one of the oldest prophecies (which said the best ruler would overcome many odds, such as muteness and would be the one to defeat the evil king of Gotham), they selected Adam, better known as Red X, Madame Rouge's son, to take the throne. Red X rarely listened to anyone but he was extremely bright. They thought that since Raven was young and couldn't walk that she shouldn't rule. Plus she was a girl. Even though Bruce fought for her to rule, he was outnumbered 11 to 1.

Red X was given the throne, much to Madame Rouge's delight. She was given the position of advisor; however, Red X was Rouge's pawn. Anything Madame Rouge wanted, she'd tell he son to get it to her, and he would. Rouge banished Arella, Richard and Raven to the backyard of the palace to live in the storage hut. Despite all of this, Arella and Richard would teach Raven anytime the opportunity arose. However, Arella had little free time because Madame Rouge would make her work extremely hard for little scraps of food. Arella was allowed to keep her own garden, though. Rouge also allowed anyone to see, "The freaks."

One afternoon, Arella needed leaves from the Baobab tree to use for a fire. Arella went to Rouge to beg for some of the Baobab leaves that she had so many of.

"Look you," said the evil Madame Rouge, "I have a whole basket. Help yourself, you poor woman. As for me, my son knew how to walk at seven and it was he who went and picked these Baobab leaves. Take them then, since your child is unequal to mine." Then she laughed cruelly.

Dumbfounded, Arella never felt so much hate in a person before. When Arella returned to the hut, she saw Raven eating while sitting on her useless legs. Arella couldn't take it anymore, so she started sobbing. Seizing a piece of wood, she proceeded to hit Raven on the head.

"Oh, daughter of misfortune, will you never walk? Through your fault, I've just suffered the greatest affront of my life! What have I done, God, for you to puish me this way?"

"Mother," asked Raven, "why are you crying? What's the matter?"

"Shut up, nothing can wash me clean of this insult," replied a crumbling Arella.

"But what, then?" asked Raven, innocently.

"Madame Rouge has just humiliated me over a matter of a Baobab leaf. At your age her son could walk and he brought her Baobab leaves."

"Cheer up, Mother," replied Raven monotonosly, "everything will be okay," she said, but it was evident that Raven wasn't good at cheering people up.

"I can't," replied Arella, weakly.

"Very well then, I will walk today, " said Raven, "Go tell the blacksmiths to make me the heaviest possible iron rod. Mother, do you want just the leaves of the Baobab or would you rather me bring you the whole tree?"

"To wipe this insult, I want the tree and its roots at my feet outside the hut."

Richard then went to get the rod. Raven crawled back into the hut, and continued to eat rice as if nothing had happened. Arella sat outside the hut, weeping softly. Just then, a loud laugh could be heard from nearby. It was Rouge, telling one of her jokes again. This made Arella weep harder.

Richard, along with six other blacksmiths, brought the iron rod to Raven. Raven then surrounded the rod in black energy and had it stand perpendicular to the ground. She then grasped the rod with her hands and, with much effort, she was able to pull herself to her knees. Raven then inched herself up, ignoring the beads of sweat that were forming and the immense exhaustion, she was able to pull herself to her feet. It took several tries, but she was eventually standing.

Then Raven then dropped the rod, and then took one step, then two, and so on. A crowd had gathered around to see Raven stand and walk.

"Back up!" said Richard, making a path for Raven to get to the Baobab tree. Slowly and painfully, Raven walked until she reached the tree. By now the crowd was cheering, all except Rouge and her son.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" cried Raven, covering the tree in black energy. She then used her mind to pull the tree from the earth and move it in front of the hut, at her mother's feet. Many recognized these words to be the ones Raven had muttered to herself when she was little!

Everyone was astonished, especially Madame Rouge. Many kids began to play with Raven from then on. I was almost as if people hoped that by spending time with Raven, some of her glory would rub off onto them. In the years that followed, Raven made many new friends like Tara, Kori, and Karen. Raven became best friends with her half cousin, the one that had another twin sister, Jinx. Jinx was also the daughter of Rita. They would always walk to the market or play games together. Wherever they went, Richard followed (as was the duty of a griot). Richard was able to join Raven and Jinx in many of their games, as he was only two years older then them and they hardly ever did girly things. The three of them were almost a unit. Sometimes they could be pursuaded by Tara, Kori or Karen to do some girly things, like play dress up or do each other's hair.

Madame Rouge was beginning to worry about her son's position of the throne. Now that Raven could walk and was gaining popularity, could she overthrow her son?

One night, Madame Rouge called upon the Nine Witches of Azerath.

"Why do you summon us?" they inquired.

"I want you to kill Raven Roth," replied Madame Rouge, simply and emotionlessly.

Should I continue? Leave it? Delete it? Let me know…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I forgot the disclaimer... so...

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the story _Sundiata_ nor do I own the Teen Titans, Okay?!!?! No matter how great it would be...

**FYI: Sarason, the head witch in this story, is from the episode "Cyborg the Barbarian"  
**

_Previously..._

Jealous of Raven and Arella, Madame Rouge called upon the Nine Withches of Azerath.

"Why do you summon us?" they inquired.

"I want you to kill Raven Roth" said Madame Rouge, simply and emotionlessly.

**Sundiata**

"I want you to kill Raven Roth" said Madame Rouge, simply and emotionlessly.

"She must have the fatal blade turned on her for her destiny runs counter to my son's and she must be killed before time runs out." continued Rouge, "If you succeed, I promise you the finest of rewards. I shall pay a little in advance," she said, her French accent thick as ever, as she took out a small chest from under her bed. The chest had complex geometric designs carved in the finest red cherry wood. The chest was filled with translucent diamonds that had a purple hue. These Purple Diamonds were the rarest in Azerath.

"Mother of the king," said Sarason, the head Witch, "life hangs by nothing but a very fine thread, but all is interwoven here below. Life has a cause, and death does as well. Life comes from death. Your hate has a cause and your action must have a cause. Mother of the king, everything holds together, our action will have no effect unless we ourselves are involved, but Raven Roth has done us no wrong. Since her heart isn't blackened, we cannot harm her."

"But you must be concerned, for the weakling Raven will bring Azerath down."

"The snake seldom bites the foot that does not walk," said one of the witches.

"Yes, but there are snakes that attack everyone," replied Rouge, annoyed at the unexpected resistance, "Allow Raven to grow up and we all will repent of it. Tomorrow, disguise yourselves as old women and make a show of stealing herbs from Arella's garden. Raven stands guard there and you will see how vicious the girl is. She won't respect your age and she'll give you a good thrashing."

"That's a clever idea" said a witch.

"But the cause of our discomfort will be as a result from our actions, for having touched something that didn't belong to us," retorted Sarason.

"But we could repeat the offence," said another witch, "and then if she beats us again we would be able to reproach her with being unkind, heartless. In that case, we could kill her, I think."

"The idea is ingenious," concluded Sarason, "Tomorrow we shall go to the vegetable patch."

"Now there is a happy thought," said Rouge, "Go tomorrow and you will discover Raven's black heart, as her name suggests. Here are your diamonds."

With that the witches dissapeared into the night. Rouge was all alone now, gloating over her anticipated victory. But Jinx had awoken.

"Auntie, is everything alright? I thought I heard voices. Who were you talking to?"

"Sleep Jinxie, it is nothing. You didn't hear anything."

In the morning, as usual, Raven got her companions together and asked them, "What shall we do today?"

"Can we shop at the market today?" whined Kori. After much debate over lack of money and interest, Raven and Jinx were persuaded to go. As usual, Richard tagged along, like a guardian angel.

At the market, Kori, Jinx, Tara, and Karen added their gold coins together and split them evenly between all six of them. That way Raven and Richard would have money too!

With this money, Kori bought a snack and a new dress. The dress was a light pink that sparkled in the light. Up close, you could see that the sparkles fromed designs on the dress.

Jinx bought a new pair of high heels to go with her elegant black and pink dress robes. Tara purchased two different necklaces, one of jade and the other of aquamarine. Karen also bought jewelry, but instead she bought a set that consisted of two onyx earrings (DUH!), an onyx bracelet, and an onyx necklace.

Richard bought a bo staff to train Raven with. He also bought two broadswords, also to teach Raven with. Now Raven didn't buy a dress or shoes or jewels, but instead Raven bought meat and salt. It was rare for Rouge to give Arella any meat scraps, let alone enough for the three of them. Raven bought pig meat that her mother could prepare some of and then salt the leftovers. All of them, except Richard, were suprised, but they made no comment.

When they arrived at the palace, Raven immeadiately went to check on her mother's garden. When she arrived, she saw nine old women scurrying away, theives that had been caught in the act of stealing gnougou leaves.

This crime could've been dealt with severely, but instead Raven called out to them,

"WAIT! Stop, poor women. Why do you run like this? This garden belongs to all." Raven was unaware of her friends that were watching the scene unfold.

Raven then began to fill in baskets with many different condiments and herbs from her garden.

"Each time you run short of anything, come to stock up here without fear."

"You disarm us and confound us with your bounty," replied one of the women.

They then revealed that they were the Nine Witches of Azerath.

"Listen, Raven," said Sarason, "we've come here to test you. We have no need of herbs but your generosity disarms us. We were sent here by the King's mother to provoke you and draw the anger of the nocturnal powers on you, but nothing can be done to a heart full of kindness. And to think we were given diamonds and are owed more. Forgive us, Raven Roth."

"I bear you no ill will," replied Raven, "I am returning from the market, and I have the meat of a pig with me. Join us for supper, will you?"

Then the Nine Witches dined with Raven, Arella, and Richard.

"Thank you, Raven."

"Thank-you, Child of Justice."

"Henceforth," said Sarason, "we will watch over you."

Then they dissapeared into the night.

"Those Nine Witches scared you, huh? You were really frightened, and don't try to tell mme you weren't," Richard asked Raven.

"How do you know?" asked Raven, astonished.

"I was there when you were talking to them," then, at the look of anger on her face he added, "we all were. Jinx told me she heard their scheme but said that she wasn't worried at all. And she would know, she's a witch too."

"Oh," replied Raven, and at that moment a small smile graced her features.

_I love to see her smile_ thought Richard.

Now Arella was a wise mother. So the next day, at dinner, she told Raven,

"Let us leave here, your friends are vulnerable. They have not yet mastered their skills, whether it be martial arts, witchcraft, or geopathy. Since she cannot injure you, Rouge will try to hurt your friends. Let us go away from here. You will return to rule once you are full grown, for it is in Azerath that your destiny will be fulfilled."

Raven accepted exile only to protect her friends. The next day she asked Richard to stay with her. Raven went out with her friends to do archery for her last time. Arella wanted Richard to help her pack. However, apparently King Adam had called the council together in order to think of ways to appease the evil king of Gotham. King Red X decreed that Richard would be given to King Slade as an apprentice and a griot. In the midst of packing, people showed up for Richard, and he was forced to leave, even though Raven was gone.

When Raven returned, Arella told her what had happened. The embassy had left that morning.

"What?! How could she?!?" by now, tears were streaming down her face. "My father assigned Richard to me! They can't do this! They have to give him back!"

"Stop!" shouted Arella, "Let it go. It is Madame Rouge acting thus, but she does not know that she obeys a higher order."

"But I didn't get to say goodbye," sobbed Raven. She cried in her mother's arms for several minutes before drying her tears.

On their way out of town, Raven and Jinx went to the King.

"Half brother Adam," stated Raven, full of fury, "you have taken away our part of the inheritance. Every royal successor has had his/her griot, and you have taken away Richard. He was not yours, wherever he may be, and he will always be my griot. And since you do not want us around you we shall leave Azerath and go far away from here."

"But I will return," added Raven vehemently. "I will return, do you hear?"

I was feeling nice and I had some time, so...Chapter 2! Now can you all be nice and review? Maybe? Sort of? It only takes 3 minutes verses 3 hours...


	3. Chapter 3

**Review:**

"But I will return," added Raven vehemently. "I will return, do you hear?"

**Chapter 3**

The King laughed at the comment, while responding with a, "We'll see about that."

Angry at the king for not taking her seriously, she turned and stormed off with her friends close behind. _I will make him pay for all he has done_ she thought. Outside, her mother waited for her, and when she saw her daughter emerge from the ornate residence of the King, began gathering their small possessions and preparing to leave Azerath.

Raven quickly said goodbye to her friends (as not to prolong the sadness that accompanied leaving her home) before joining her mother as they left Azarath, heads held high.

They traveled for miles, resting sporadically and for short periods of time. They wanted to get to a civilization as soon as they could, that way they wouldn't have to worry about the danger of nature. After the fifth day, they had run out of food from Arella's garden and had little water left with no civilization in sight.

_I wonder if this is what it's like burning alive_ thought Raven morbidly as they continued on their path, fending off large mutant insects and trying to stay out of the scorching sun, to no avail.

Eventually they had walked until they had no energy left to continue on. Arella fainted from the heat and Raven almost went unconscious when they were found by a caravan.

* * *

Roy Harper and his merchant friends Alan (A/N: Aqualad), Victor and Garfield (A/N: Cyborg and Beastboy respectively) were on a trade caravan headed for the kingdom of Jump.

They blissfully rode in the dry, arid region laughing and talking amongst themselves animatedly.

"Dude, Tofu is the best food EVER!!! It's like a slice of Heaven because it tastes AWESOME and DOESN'T HURT ANIMALS!!!" yelled Garfield (Gar), trying to convince Victor to convert from his meat-eating ways.

"Yo, man you're disgusting!! How can you suggest such a thing???!!!??? Meat is here for us to eat…and 'sides the animal was already dead!! So enjoy it!!! I think I'll have some now!!"

"NO!!!" shrieked Gar in response!! But before he could continue, he was cut off by a sharp whisper from Roy.

"Quiet, something's not right…let's go see what those two things are on the ground up there…Be Quiet and stay alert…"

As the trio advanced, they could make out that the shapes were, in fact, people who had collapsed.

"Bring the cart over here, we'll take them with us to Jump," Roy decided, "From there we can figure out who they are, why they were out here, and where to go from there."

So the two people were placed on the Caravan and taken away. Little did the trio know that had they left these people out in the harsh climate a little longer, the people would've died.

* * *

Raven felt water trickling in her mouth, like a small stream flowing into her body. Gingerly, she cracked her eyes open only to come face to face with a young man with green eyes and blonde hair, pouring water into her mouth from a canteen.

"This one's up" called Gar when he saw the violet haired lady awaken.

Raven looked around, and even though her vision was blurry, she could make out the shapes of three others.

"Who are you? Where am I?" asked Raven, very confused.

"I'm Roy and I'm a griot. The guy with blonde hair is Gar and the other guy is Victor. They're merchants. Vic is trying to revive your…"

"mother…" Raven filled in

"…Right. So how are you feeling? Are you hungry? By the way, we're headed for Jump. Do you want to travel with us there or go where you originally intended?"

"I'm fine. Jump sounds okay"

"Why were you out there?" Victor asked her.

Raven told them an abbreviated version of her story. When she finished, all of the guys had horrified looks on their faces.

"Dude…" squeaked Gar.

They sat in silence for a while, preparing dinner when Gar finally asked, "So…What's your name."

"Raven," she answered coolly.

Just then, a groan escaped from Arella's lips.

"Mother!" Raven shouted while running over to her mother's side to relay to her all that had happened in the past few hours.

As soon as Raven was done explaining everything to her mother, Roy came up to them and informed them that the caravan should arrive at jump by dawn and to sleep on the way there. They thanked him for his kindness and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Raven and Arella awoke just as the caravan was entering the Jump Kingdom.

_Amazing_ thought Raven as she gazed at the magnificent kingdom.

All of the buildings in the Jump province were ornately decorated and the streets were filled with vendors who sold merchandise from around the world. Nobles dressed in purple silk robes were standing and talking in the streets. Merchants sold pottery, salt, jewelry, silk, and spices in their own tents. The buildings were enormous. People bustled in and out, completing their daily humdrum routine, which amused Raven.

_The entire city is so opulent and affluent, how are we ever going to fit in here? _Raven thought with despair. Turning to Roy, she questioned,

"Can you teach me the rules of the Jump province since you are a traveling griot?"

To which he responded with a smile and an, "of course." And so, Roy became Raven's griot substitute.

* * *

For seven years they lived in the Jump kingdom.

On Raven's 17th birthday, she wandered the marketplace for meats and her favorite fruits for her family's "feast" of celebration. Passing by the street vendors, two men caught her eye. They were selling baobab leaves. This piqued her interest because the baobab trees only grew in Azarath. Cautiously stepping toward the men, for she did not know if they were spies, she hesitantly asked of important news from abroad.

They told her how Slade finally conquered Azarath and planned to take Bludhaven down next. They babbled on about how Slade sent King Adam and Madame Rouge into exile. She thanked them and hurried home, her thoughts racing as she formulated a plan of action. She sprinted to her small hut and shared the news with Roy and Arella. When she had finished, Arella started to speak,

"Raven, I have waited for this moment for so long. It is you time to shine and claim the throne that was stolen from you by the false King Adam. You must defeat Slade and take back what's rightfully yours."

Since that talk with her mother, Raven began to gather her own army. She was given soldiers from the Jump and its allies. She spoke to commoners about fighting the horrible conditions forcefully set upon their neighbors and acquired more people for her army from the refugees and nomads (A/N: A nomad is someone who travels from place to place and never permanently settles in an area). When all was said and done, she had an army roughly the size of 250,000 people.

With the manpower she needed, Raven began to plan her ambush on Slade and his heinous kingdom.

* * *

Sorry about the long time to update...I moved and school just started so I've been slammed with homework...Review please!! (And flames are accepted when they DONT DISCUSS THE PAIRINGS!!!) 


	4. Chapter 4

"Raven, I have waited for this moment for so long. It is your time to shine and claim the throne that was stolen from you by the false King Adam. You must defeat Slade and take back what's rightfully yours."

Since that talk with her mother, Raven began to gather her own army. She was given soldiers from the Jump and its allies. She spoke to commoners about fighting the horrible conditions forcefully set upon their neighbors and acquired more people for her army from the refugees and nomads (A/N: A nomad is someone who travels from place to place and never permanently settles in an area). When all was said and done, she had an army roughly the size of 250,000 people.

With the manpower she needed, Raven began to plan her ambush on Slade and his heinous kingdom.

_______

The night before the invasion, Arella began to have problems breathing. Raven ran to her mother's side, trying to use her medical knowledge from training with Roy to save her mother. But no matter how many herbs and medicines Raven used, her mother continued to have respiratory problems. After a few hours (A/N: the mom had her own powers too, chapter one), Arella finally couldn't withstand the pain and she died.

Raven was disheartened when she couldn't save her mother. She began sobbing and planned to move the day of the invasion so she could honor her mother's passing. However, Roy convinced her to continue on with the plans she had set. He encouraged her by reminding her that her mom was in favor of the invasion and that to kill Slade would bring her mom the greatest honor.

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Richard

Richard, having been with the evil king, Slade, for 10 years was now 19 years old. While serving Slade, Richard was always aware his findings, storing away his knowledge in the filing cabinets of his brain.

_Flashback_

_Richard was 11 when he wandered into Slade's office. In the office, he saw poisonous snakes and cooing owls (A/N: snakes symbolize evil and owls symbolize death) loose in the office. While this scared Richard, he continued to look around for anything helpful. He wandered over to the biggest __balafon (A/N: its an African instrument that resembles the xylophone) he'd ever seen. He remembered how the balafon was the national instrument of Azarath. Upon seeing this he despaired for he realized that he couldn't fulfill his duty and teach Raven. _

_Richard began playing random notes on the balafon, only to notice that this instrument calmed the snakes and owls and even charmed them._

"_Boy, what are you doing in my office?!"_

_Slade's harsh voice tore Richard from his thoughts._

"_I was just preparing an honorary song for you on the balafon," Richard lied._

"_Lets hear it then, and it better be good," grumbled Slade. _

_Richard, playing to Slade's ego, composed a magnificent song right on the spot. Needless to say, Slade was amazed with Richard's skills._

_What Richard didn't count on was what Slade's next move would be._

"_From now on, Richard, you will be my griot and my apprentice."_

_End Flashback_

Richard was ashamed to be working so closely with such a disgusting man, but the position did prove to be useful.

Richard was able to deduce that Slade's powers were derived from the dead. Richard knew that this information would be helpful to Raven, who according to the prophesy, would be the one to fight against Slade. But he had no way to communicate this to her…

-----------------------

Raven began her long march to Azarath, packing the necessary food provisions for herself. She also announced to her army to make sure they were adaquately prepared for the long trek back to Azarath.

On the way back, Raven's army grew even more from those in other kingdoms who wanted to join the cause.

In the city of Tabon, in the outskirts of the Azarathean region, Raven's army encountered some of Slade's forces. However, the element of surprise gave Raven the upper hand in the battle and after a few hours, Slade's faction was retreating. Raven quickly assigned griots and witches to help heal the wounded as quickly as possible.

Because the battle was over quicky, the casualties were minimal and Raven's army was able to continue onward after an hour and a half of resting. With incredible speed, Raven's army continued into the heart of Azarath, knowing what they'd have to face.

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Hey i'm back!! This story is probably only going to be one or two more chapters so I hope you've all enjoyed it so far!!

I know ive been bad about updating, but I for got my password, i moved again, and ive been terribly busy (please dont kill me :( )

haha but Im definitely going to be better this time around, I've already began working on Chapter 5!! SO please review if you have the chance and chapter 5 will be up soon!!

~Rukiarae


	5. Chapter 5

UPDATED

Mmk so I feel so bad that I haven't updated in a year that I'm gonna post this chapter today too!! ^_^

So here goes!!!

With great speed, Raven's army traveled into the heart of Azerath, knowing what they'd have to face.

______________

When Raven's army reached the city of Kita her army once again encountered resistance from king Slade's factions. However, this time, Slade was there leading them.

Upon seeing the orange tinted armor of the evil king, Slade, Raven felt a pang of guilt wash through her. _I'm so sorry Richard. I let them get you. I'll save you, that wont ever happen again. Promise. Ok Raven, focus. Azerath Metrion Zinthos._

Surveying the battlefield, Raven realized that they were sadly outnumbered. Summoning her courage she yelled at her army, "We fight for Azerath!! We fight against Slade!! No matter the cost, we keep fighting!"

The rest of her army cheered as they began charging head on at Slade's faction. Both sides did considerable damage. Slade's army was equipped with the most modern technologies while Raven's makeshift group had only what they could afford or what was donated to them.

Yet Raven and her group put up a fight. Men slashed their way through Slade's army, only receiving small grazes and injuries. While Raven's army battled, Raven scanned her surroundings for Slade. She saw him retreat to a cave at the fringes of a dark forest. Taking a few of her warriors, she followed Slade into the cave.

In the cave she could see that Slade wasn't alone. The shadow of a figure sat behind Slade, but Raven couldn't make out who it was.

"Raven?" the figure asked.

And she instanly knew who it was.

"Richard! I'm going to get you out, you hear?"

"Raven, be careful! I've got to tell you about him, you're unprepared!!"

Upon hearing that his apprentice was using him, Slade was infuriated. He kicked Richard into the hard rock of the cave.

"YOU TRAITOR!" SLade bellowed.

Unable to see her griot and her best friend in so much pain she ordered her three warriors to attack the evil king.

While they were fighting, Raven slipped outside and assumed her meditative stance. She allowed her energy to flow into Richard, melding her mind and his. In his mind, Richard comminicated to Raven how Slade's powers were from the dead.

Yet what neither of them noticed, being otherwise occupied, was that Slade had defeated the three warriors and had found Raven. He punched her in her stomach, sending her flying back into the dirt. This assault pulled Raven from Richard's mind. It was only her and Slade now.

Quickly, the purple haired teen turned and ran into the forest. Slade followed in pursuit.

_So his powers are from the dead, eh? Well I guess we're going to have to rid him of his powers with life._

Sprinting, Raven barely managed to stay ahead of Slade. She could feel her energy draining, but pushed herself onward. She needed to lure him into her trap.

Onward she ran until she came across the flowing stream of Azerath. It was said that this spring gave life to Azerath because it drew weary nomads to settle in the area because of the resources it provided. Raven wondered if she could hit Slade with this water if he would be blasted into oblivion.

She used her powers to manipulate the water and waited in her fighting stance for Slade to arrive in the clearing.

"Ahh Raven, you stupid girl. You have just isolated yourself from everyone and no one knows where you are. Its just you and me now, no one can come and save you."

And with that he took out his steel fighting rod and assumed his fighting stance in one fluid motion.

Trying to hide her fear, Raven scowled at Slade.

_Oh my Azar! How could i be so foolish? If only I could teleport, but no that'll use up to much energy for when he catches up to me. I need to be able to fight. _

After a mintue of Slade and Raven tensed, ready for each other's attack, Raven lunged.

Slade easily sidestepped her attack, which frustrated Raven.

_Calm down, find your center or you'll lose. Just breathe._

Raven tried to lunge again, but failed. Again.

This time, Slade took the offensive. He sent a whirling streak of bright orange flames right at Raven (A/N: like in the episode of her birthday). Using her powers to teleport herself a few feet away, she turned towards Slade and prepared for another attack.

Slade surrounded himself with a red aura, which appeared almost electric. He slowly began walking towards Raven, looking like a tiger on the prowl for its food. Raven, slightly unnerved by his look, used her dark powers to send the water hurling at him, sharp as knives, sending him a few feet away.

Raven gaped at the ground where Slade had fallen. Had her plan worked?

_I thought it wasn't a well thought out plan, but did it just work? Did i just win?...he's not getting up! I've won!_

But this victory was short lived. Slade picked himself up from the ground. Cracking his neck he asked, "Is that all you've got Raven? You're going to have to do better than that to beat me."

_____

Sorry its such a short chapter, but I have to go or else I'll be late for my concert tonight! So review if you can and ill post Chapter 6 up soon!

Mmk so I updated it to where I wanted to end the chapter, it didnt feel right leaving it at her plan...

~RukiaRae


	6. Chapter 6

Ok so i feel awful about ditching all my stories :( forgive me! I moved. Again. and my computer crashed and I had to get a new one...oh yea and then there was school...i got so busy I forgot my login for my email and my account here! Yes I feel awful....

The good news is that theres only one or two chapters left for this story, so if theres anyone out there whos still reading this story, then you wont have to wait much longer!

Well here goes....

**Sundiata**

But this victory was short lived. Slade picked himself up from the ground. Cracking his neck he asked, "Is that all you've got Raven? You're going to have to do better than that to beat me."

________________________________________________________

Running out of energy, Raven truned and sprinted further into the dense forest. It was so dark from the foliage overhead that Raven found herself tripping more and more the further into the forest she went. She decided to start running toward the east in hopes that the trees would begin to thin out. All the while, Slade was in pursuit, no more than 2 feet behind her. He seemed unaffected by the strenous activity, but then again, he was dead.

Raven finally reached a clearing where, it seemed, all of the trees had been cleared away. The stench of flesh and blood filled the air and the ground was littered with bodies, from both sides. Some of Raven's forces had been ambushed! Seeing the bodies of everyone who had fought to help her restore everything to normal drew a violent cry from the small girl. Her powers were acting of their own will, lifting her into the air and pouring out of her body, determined to hurt Slade for what he had done. Slade noticed this surge of energy coming from Raven, and he manipulated his fire to form a circular cucoon around himself before making both himself and the fire disappear. (A/N like in Avatar when Jiong Jiong escaped the Admiral's forces in Book 1...wow I sound like such a dork lol).

Noticing Slade's escape, Raven's anger quickly dissapated and she fell from the sky from utter exhaustion. Lying amongst the ruins of the previous battle, she was oblivious to the cries of, "Raven!" eminating from the forest. Not too soon, Richard and Roy made their way to Raven, who after looking at them, passed out. It was eight hours later when she woke up in a canvas tent.

Peeking outside, Raven could see that she and the rest of her surviving army had made a small encampment near the clearing. Assured that she was safe, Raven went back into her tent to mull over what had happened with Slade.

_If he gets his power from the dead, how can I beat him? If hes already dead, well it's very problematic to kill someone who's dead...._

_And was that Richard I saw with Roy? Is that even possible? No. No, it's not. I was exhausted and imagining him there..._

After a quick meditation session to clear and compose her thoughts, Raven left the tent to find Roy, Garfield, and Victor. She opened the flap to Roy's tent only to find a war meeting with many of their best soldiers strategizing their next move for the next encounter with Slade. Upon hearing the sound of the tent closing, Richard's blue eyes gazed up and met with Raven's ameythst ones. For several seconds, neither could look away. Then, Victor had Raven seated around the circle eager to have her help with the plan. _I have to put my people over a stupid crush...wait, i dont like him like that! its just an infatuation...or the shock of seeing him...yea that's it, the shock..._

_______

The war meeting was useless. No one had a solid plan to take down Slade. Not even Richard, who had been around him.

_What are we going to do? _

Raven was pulled from her thoughts as Richard approached her. Without any thought as to what she was doing, Raven enevloped him in a big hug. When her thoughts caught up with her, she almost pulled away only to find that he was hugging her back. At that moment, no other troubles or battles plauged Raven's mind and she found that the hug had ended all too soon.

"You'll do fine, dont worry about it, ok?"

But even his words couldn't stop Raven from worrying. Slade was unstoppable. Bowing her head in concentration, Raven tried to think of ideas to kill him since her other idea didn't work.

"Hey, cheer up," Richard said as he lifted her face to look at him, "They're throwing a huge feast for you tonight, to wish you luck and all."

"But why?" Raven asked, her face twisted in a look of confusion.

"I guess no one told you, but the reason we were preparing for battle is because we received a note from one of Slade's warriors asking for a one-on-one battle with you tomorrow."

Raven was stunned_. Tomorrow? But I'm not ready!_

Forgetting to cloak her thoughts, Richard heard her thoughts through their bond.

"You'll figure it out, Rae. We all believe in you, why do you think we're already celebrating?" he asked, amking her smile.

"That's more like it! Now go get ready for the celebration!" He called as he walked off to go prepare himself for the dinner.

______________

The feast was magnificent. Hundreds of animals were cooked. Buffalo, Duck, and Rabbit filled the plates of many weary soldiers. Each one had a toast to give in Raven's honor, wishing her luck on tomorrow's upcoming battle. The night was perfect.

After the feast, Raven went to her tent to get some musch needed sleep. But her anxiety could not be cured. Raven longed for her mother's presence and her soothing words, which always helped calm Raven down. The thought of her mother made Raven cry.

Richard approached the tent to mkae sure Raven was feeling alright, and upon hearing Raven's muffled sobs, went in and held her as she cried. He told her about his mother, how she was wonderful and how she was killed when he was 8 by robbers. He confessed how he missed them constantly too, and gave her hope that she would be able to deal with this open wound in time, like he had. Eventually, Raven found comfort, and soon enough she was asleep in Richard's arms.

___________________________

Raven woke up in her own tent with about an hour to go before her final encounter with Slade. This was a fight to the finish. He already made it clear that he wanted to end her, so she would stop running and face her greatest nightmare.

Raven suited up for battle by picking a few weapons to help her against Slade. She took her mother's sword. It only appeared as a sword handle until the user allowed their inner light to flow out to the blade. Then the blade would be formed and it would be tangible and capable of much damage. Someone like Slade, who had no inner light, would find the sword useless, a plus that Raven liked. She also chose to take her crossbow and arrow from Roy to battle. All she had to do was picture in her mind where she wanted the bow to go and it would go there. (A/N: These weapons were from "The Key" a book by Marianne Curley).

Raven then fixed herself a plate of leftovers from the feast before, but she found that she wasn't hungry.

She was tense, wound up like a guitar string held too tightly. Anything could make her snap. She just deperately wanted the battle to be over with. As soon as the sun was at the top of the sky, Raven made her way to the clearing from before. On her way, many of the soldiers came out of their tents to offer their condolances and wish her luck.

Before Raven went to the clearing, she saw Richard. She went over to him to thank him for all of his support. But upon reaching him, the words would not come out of her mouth so all she could do was stare like an idiot. He saved her from it being a total embarassment by taking upon himself to talk first.

"You'll be great, I know it. You can do it," he told her, but all she could do was nod. Her throat felt dry and she found herself trying to swallow and make it feel normal again. She turned to walk onto the clearing but Richard grabbed her arm.

"Be careful. I don't want to lose you again," Richard stated before letting go. Raven turned to look at him, but found that he was already walking away.

_What was that about? Does he like me too?_

Raven chanted her mantra to clear her mind for the battle before stepping onto the clearing. About 100 feet away she could see Slade, in his gleaming mask and all. Her worst fear. She was done running, she'd restore the world to normalcy or die trying.

Raven got into her battle stance and Slade did the same. Then, as they lunged for each other, all hell broke loose.

_____________________________

Hope you guys liked it! Only one more chapter to go! I promise to have that done soon! Thank you to those who stayed with me even though I'm terrible at updating! Please please review so that I know how I'm doing so far... Do you guys think that its still good? that its not as epic-ish?plllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee review!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys!

So lots of people have been reviewing my stories! It makes me so happy!! Sorry I haven't finished this story yet, I had SO many computer problems and now I'm so busy this week! But I will have the chapter up within 2 weeks...the LAST chapter!!

Also, thanks to some reviews, I've decided to continue the story 10 things I hate about you! So be on the lookout for that this weekend too!

Til next time!

~RukiaRae


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so it's definitely been a long, long time and this should've been finished awhile ago. I had actually forgotten about this story before it was recently reviewed by**** so thank-youfor reminding me about this story :) ...Well, here is the long overdue last chapter!**

**Another side note to be aware of: This was the first chaptered story I tried writing on the site and I began it about 4 years ago...obviously my writing has evolved...going back and reading some of this, there is a lot that I would change now to make the story transition better and such, but seeing as it's already written, I decided to leave it alone...Hopefully the story is still good with the lack of good character development in the beginning...Anyway, I thought I'd put that out there...**

**Sundiata**

Previously:

Raven chanted her mantra to clear her mind for the battle before stepping onto the forest clearing that they'd recently battled on. About 100 feet away she could see Slade, in his gleaming mask and all. Her worst fear. She was done running, she'd restore the world to normalcy or die trying.

Raven got into her battle stance and Slade did the same. Then, as they lunged for each other, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Raven had her sword drawn, a powerful white light emitting from the handle. She swung at Slade in mid-air, slicing his bo-staff in half. As she landed, Raven allowed herself to grin, she was sure that she'd taken him by surprise. However, the advantage was short lived. In the distance, Raven could see Slade's red aura encompass him. _Uh-oh._

_Raven readied the bow and arrow that she had brought with her, imagining the arrow would go sailing through Slade's head. However, before she could get the bow loaded, Slade appeared behind her, delivered a swift blow to her temple, and picked up the weapon. He tried to use the bow on her fallen form, however, he soon discovered that it would not work for him. To prevent Raven from using it, he snapped the bow in half, discarding it. He then turned his attention to his enemy once more, only to find that she was sitting up._

Raven pushed herself up, embarrassed by being taken down by such an easy blow, especially with spectators watching, Slade's army on one end, hers on the other. Raven pushed on her palms to get up and visibly flinched when she realized that her hand was atop a skull from a fallen comrade during the most recent battle. Angry, and with a new determination, Raven was almost standing when Slade's foot connected with her stomach, sending her flying back. Somewhere in the air, Raven had lost her mother's sword. Raven cursed her luck. This time, she wasted no time getting up, ignoring the shooting pain.

She then summoned her magic with her famous mantra, hitting Slade several times and knocking him to the ground. But Raven knew better than to think she had won. Sure enough, Slade was back into his fighting stance moments later, completely unscathed. He then summoned fire to the palms of his hands and, at that point, Raven knew her best bet was to avoid the hell fire.

He lunged at her, sending several flaming attacks her way, which she dodged with difficulty.

"So this is the person who is meant to overthrow my kingdom?" asked Slade, mockingly, "A weak, unexceptional, little girl whose powers cannot begin to compare with mine. How pathetic."

This infuriated Raven. All of her life she was perceived as weak and incapable and she hated being seen as such. She had defied all expectations then and she didn't plan on letting Slade get the best of her.

"You're a monster, and I hope that when you go to hell that you are tortured for all of those that you've carelessly killed."

Using her powers, Raven lifted the bones in the field, many sharp from being stepped on, and hurled them at Slade. Slade blocked most of the shards from hitting him, however, one grazed his arm, hitting a weak spot in his armor and grazing his skin (A/N: if you look at old armor, the whole arm was rarely covered).

With that, Slade's aura disappeared and he began to crumble in front of them until he fell, another skeleton to occupy those in the field. It took a few moments for it to register that she had won, but the cheering of both crowds confirmed that she was, in fact, victorious.

Soon, Raven's friends from camp descended the field to congratulate her. Raven allowed herself to be passed from person to person, being hugged, patted, and high-fived. She was fairly sure that she had been congratulated by Roy, Alan, Garfield and Victor, but after awhile, all of the faces seemed to blur together. The one person that she hadn't seen, however, was her griot, Richard. She was fairly sure that she'd remember seeing him.

"Dude! You're the new queen of Azarath!" yelled Gar, earning several cheers of approval.

Much to her dismay, Raven could feel her cheeks turning scarlet at the praise.

"All that's left is for us to travel to the Capitol and announce your victory," supplied Roy.

Raven nodded, she knew what protocol dictated, but she still had yet to see Richard.

"Tell them to pack out, we head out in an hour," replied Raven, before slipping out of the celebratory crowd.

She quickly teleported to their camp despite being fatigued by the battle; there was no way she was going to let someone see her walking away from the crowd and attempt to drag her back for more celebration. She knew her friends had meant well, but she was never one to enjoy being the center of attention.

After teleporting, Raven had no time to catch her bearings before being engulfed in another hug. Knowing it was Richard, she hugged back.

"I told you that you'd be fine," he said gently.

"I have no idea how I won, I got lucky," replied Raven, knowing that her words were true.

"I think I have it figured out, actually," stated Richard, pulling back from their embrace enough to see Raven's confused face.

"How?"

"The dead bone that hit him, well, it absorbed his powers on contact since it was also dead. It probably now holds the power that Slade did, but since you used your powers, it's probably impossible to spot, which is definitely a good thing. That's something that should be forgotten," supplied Richard.

Raven nodded, finally understanding her victory. Still, she had been incredibly lucky.

Raven buried her face in Richard's chest, mumbling "I missed you, a lot."

She hadn't expected him to hear her, or to respond with, "Me too."

Raven then pulled back to look into his captivating cerulean eyes, seeing the warmth and compassion held in their depths. Before anything could become of the charged moment, they both heard the noise of the approaching people. They quickly let go of one another and Raven cursed herself for telling the men to pack up.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, Roy's eyes traveled from Raven to Richard, both looking incredibly guilty of something, and gave a knowing smile. Ever since their training, whenever Raven described Richard, he could see the fondness she held for her friend. So, in short, he wasn't surprised by this turn of events. He noticed, too, that Victor seemed to pick up on the same thing. Gar, however, remained clueless as ever.

As Richard and Raven went their separate ways to pack up their things, Victor approached Richard.

"Hey, man, I know you like her," began Victor in a serious tone, "And I'm happy for y'all. But, she's like my sister, and if you ever dare to hurt her, I will come after you. Got it?"

Richard nodded, before replying, "I would never do that, really."

Victor nodded solemnly before grinning, "Good."

As soon as Victor left to pack, Richard exhaled from relief. The hard look in Victor's eyes was definitely something Richard wasn't used to seeing from his comrade and it unnerved him. Barely 10 minutes later, Roy approached Richard as well. Before Richard could begin to worry that he'd get the same hostile look from Roy, however, Roy began to speak.

"She likes you a lot, you know," he stated calmly.

"Really?" asked Richard in disbelief.

"Yeah," he said, "Whenever she talked about you, you could see she cared about you. A lot. And though she would never admit it to me, I think she had a crush on you when you were kids too."

"Seriously?" he asked with his characteristic lopsided grin.

Roy nodded, "So quit wasting time. You of all people should know how precious it is."

Richard nodded in affirmation, "Yeah. And Roy? Thanks."

Roy nodded before wandering away to check on everyone and make sure they'd be able to leave soon. Richard was beaming inside, Roy's words were playing over and over in his mind. He began to pack with a newfound jubilance.

* * *

The journey to the Capitol took a few days, however, upon their arrival Raven was pronounced Queen of Azarath and a celebratory feast was thrown in her honor. Raven, although pleased that she could help her people, hated being Queen. First of all, it required that she always wear dresses, something that she was unaccustomed to. And most people treated her differently for it. AThey had been back only a week, and already, Raven had less time to spend with her friends. She had recently been reunited with her childhood friends, Tara, Jinx, and Kori, whom she still loved and got along with, but she was disappointed that she couldn't spend more time with them. She had barely seen Richard either, especially since he was reinstated as her advisor and he too had several meetings to attend.

Raven sighed. She stared at her pallid reflection in her ostentatious vanity, missing the simplicity of her early childhood. Finally, deciding that dwelling on the past would do no good, Raven rose, her midnight blue silk gown rustling with her movement. She headed for the castle gardens, which had been newly built, for an hour of peace and meditation. Upon arriving there, she was surprised to find Richard already there, mumbling slightly to himself.

"I hope I'm not interrupting a riveting conversation," she stated, amusement seeping into her usually monotone voice.

Richard whirled around in shock, before grinning at her and replying, "Not at all."

Hesitantly, she smiled back.

Unsure of what else to say, Raven awkwardly began, "How've you been this past week? Not too stressed out, I hope."

Richard had been, in fact, stressed out which was why he sought solitude in the gardens in the first place. His week had been hectic and he never could find a time to talk to Raven alone to tell her how he felt.

But seeing her before him, he forgot about all of his troubles and honestly replied, "Nothing I can't handle."

And it was true. Helping her in any way was something that he would gladly do.

She nodded, "That's good."

Not sure of what else to say, Raven looked away and fidgeted with an invisible stray thread on her gown. Richard smiled to himself, recalling Roy's words. And, yet, even with Roy's assurance, he couldn't stop his heart from racing. Still, it was now or never.

Cautiously, Richard made his way to Raven, taking her nervous hands in his own. Raven could feel her face flush as she met Richard's gaze. Hesitantly, they both inched their faces closer until their lips connected in a sweet, chaste kiss. During the kiss, Raven's arms moved of their own accord around his neck and his strong arms encircled her slim waist. Neither of them parted until the demand for air forced them apart.

And then Raven knew that things were perfect with Richard by her side. They smiled at one another, reveling in the perfect moment.

Since then, they managed to steal away from their duties from time to time, and eventually, Richard proposed. Overjoyed, Raven accepted and they announced it to their friends and, eventually, to the rest of the kingdom, who shared in the jubilance. The royal wedding was incredibly lavish, despite Raven's protests that it was too much, and in the end, Raven and Richard were incredibly happy together. Madame Rouge and her son remained in exile and were never heard from again. And the bone shard was forgotten in time and remained lost from humanity in that field of bones.

And not to be cliche, but they all lived (relatively) happily ever after.

* * *

**And I've finally finished this story! I'm sure not many people will be reading this, but it still feels good to be done with this story, despite the fun time I had writing this (and it's my first complete chaptered story, woo!)...If you do read this, please please review! **

**~RukiaRae**


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